


Dare To Dream

by BriMac0518



Series: Requests [23]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Smut, Valerius is a snob, Wine daddy, and makes good use of his desk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:08:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24790618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriMac0518/pseuds/BriMac0518
Summary: Valerius disliked Ava immensely until suddenly...he didn't.
Relationships: Valerius (The Arcana)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Requests [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1986547
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	Dare To Dream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sccars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sccars/gifts).



> For sccars featuring their OC Ava. Thank you for choosing me as well as for the opportunity to write our dear wine daddy. <3
> 
> PLEASE NOTE: Do not repost my work anywhere. I do not give my permission.

Valerius prided himself on many things. His taste in clothing, art, wine, his intelligence, his poise. The list could go on and on. What he didn’t pride himself on, however, was human nature betraying him. And so cruelly at that.

The witch had come to the palace a nobody. Just another plebeian pretending to be important, thinking she could be above her station where so many others had tried and failed. Valerius had disliked her from the start. She didn’t belong there as far as he was concerned. Yet the countess enjoyed her company.

What bothered him even more was the reason that she was brought to the palace to live amongst the nobility. She’d been merely a girl in her teens when Lucio first saw her, but even then, the count was struck by her beauty. He didn’t hesitate to extend an invitation to come to the palace once she reached adulthood. He also didn’t hesitate to attempt to get her into his bed.

Valerius had sneered and cursed the count’s impulsiveness. Surely he’d been enough to keep Lucio satisfied over the years even after his wife had stopped allowing the count into her bed. Yet upon Nadia’s insistence, despite the witch’s dislike, Ava as she called herself had gone to Lucio’s bed and become his lover. Had let him lavish her with fine jewels and rich silks. 

The consul still had Lucio’s favor, but sharing was not something Valerius was prepared to take lightly. He had no choice in the matter unfortunately. When Lucio wanted something, he damn well went for it obstacles be damned. So he gritted his teeth and bore witness to the insult that was sharing his lover with a commoner.

Over the years, however, things changed. While Ava remained Lucio’s lover, Valerius grudgingly began to admit that perhaps things would be easier if the two of them got along. She became more powerful and lovelier still in appearance as time passed. Thankfully, Valerius and Ava were able to reach an agreement.

One evening, when Lucio was otherwise occupied, Valerius extended the invitation for Ava to join him for dinner. To his surprise, she accepted, and once in his chambers, the two of them talked long into the night. Valerius couldn’t deny at the end of that visit that he’d given her far too little credit. Ava was smart, carried herself with pride and had certainly left her background far behind her in the past where it belonged. In spending time with her, he found that if he hadn’t known of her origins to begin with, he never would have suspected that she wasn’t a lady of noble birth. He attributed that in part to time spent with Nadia. The countess was the definition of a lady after all.

When Ava departed that night, Valerius found himself with much to think about. He’d never expected such a thing. To find Ava pleasant and dignified, her company enjoyable rather than vexing. It changed everything. The pair agreed that being at odds with each other was not in anyone’s best interest. Civility was the goal, but as he got to know Ava more, spent more time with her, he began to wonder if they could even surpass civility by moving steadily into the realm of friendship. He wasn’t against the idea at all.

Such things plagued the consul’s thoughts over the days that followed. As such, he chose to extend another invitation to Ava, this time to join him for a walk in the gardens. When she accepted, Valerius was surprised by the excitement he felt at the concept of spending more time with her. Ever the gentleman, he offered her his arm and they walked through the lush palace gardens, idly chatting about whatever came to mind. They wiled away two hours doing that and by the end of the walk, each of them seemed to feel as if great strides were being made toward that coveted status of being friends.

Next, it was Ava’s turn to invite Valerius to an outing. As much as she loved the palace food, she also enjoyed venturing out to some of the more exclusive dining establishments in the city that favored the rich. Valerius was quick to accept and joined her for dinner. Over the course of the evening, seduced by wine and candlelight while watching the way the combination brought a flush to her cheeks and a glow to her skin, the consul had a startling realization.

He wanted her.

It was jarring given his original opinion of Ava, yet was not as difficult a concept to accept as being friends with her had been. No, Valerius came to treat these newfound feelings as the normal progression of things. He was not accustomed to giving into his emotions by any means, yet with Lucio and now with Ava, it seemed that the consul just could not resist. No matter how much he prided himself on his self-discipline, it appeared as if he had none when it came to the count and his consort.

But how to tell her?

Telling Ava was the problem. He knew Lucio had no qualms with sharing amongst his partners. Lucio had even suggested the three of them be together more than once. Yet Valerius had always been the one to refuse. Now, however, he couldn’t deny that the idea had merit. First, he wanted to experience being with Ava for himself. There would be time for sharing later. Lucio had been with her for years already. Valerius wanted his turn.

Telling her proved to be the challenge that he wasn’t sure how to overcome. Ava was a lady, beautiful and brilliant, graceful and articulate. If he was going to tell her how he felt, he would have to do so in a way that befitted her. A way that she deserved. Wining and dining her seemed so boring as much as he loved the part with the wine. He wanted to be creative. He could ask Lucio for suggestions, but the count’s idea of wooing someone was flinging his wealth at them. That wouldn’t do.

He mulled it over for days to the point of distraction, which left him working long hours well into the night. Lucio chided him for working too hard, but Valerius paid no heed to his words. Everything had to be perfect. He would accept nothing less because that’s just how Valerius was.

One of those late nights found him sitting at the desk in his office within the palace, his quill moving over a piece of paper as he signed yet another document that had been on his agenda to review. The moonlight shone in through the window in glowing silver beams in direct contrast to the golden light from the candles and lamps that filled the room so he had some illumination in which to work. Despite the hour, he was as well put together as always in his fine robes with his braid draped over his shoulders, a glass of red wine within reach.

He set the document aside and reached for another, breathing a quiet sigh as his thoughts began to drift once more. As always, they drifted to Ava and, as always, he felt frustration because he was becoming distracted yet again while still being unable to come up with a way to speak with her. A huff left him as he reached for his wine instead of the document he’d originally intended to retrieve, bringing the glass to his lips and drinking from it deeply. When he set it down once more, it was completely empty.

Valerius returned his quill to the inkwell and leaned back in his seat, head resting on the cushion of his chair as he closed his eyes. It was so very, very frustrating. Sometimes he almost believed emotions just weren’t worth the hassle that they could cause. The consul decided to just take a few moments to have a break from his work and give himself some time to regroup so he could get back to it. If he could just get through the work on his desk, he could go to sleep without any tasks hanging over his head. Just the enigma that was talking to Ava about his feelings.

A quiet knock on the door had him lifting his head from his chair quickly. Who could that be coming to see him in the middle of the night? Lucio didn’t knock. He just walked in. So it certainly wasn’t the count. He couldn’t think for the life of him who else it might be.

“Come in,” he called, once he’d made sure he was still presentable, his gaze resting on the door in anticipation of seeing who was on the other side. His eyes widened a bit when his visitor entered.

“Valerius. Good evening. I hope I’m not disturbing you,” Ava said as she closed the door behind herself. His gaze was drawn to what she was wearing. Or, more importantly, what she wasn’t. Ava had come to him clad in a silk robe as if she’d just been getting ready for bed but decided to come to his office instead. Embarrassingly enough, it took him a minute to recall his manners. He rose from his seat quickly.

“No. No, not at all. Please, have a seat. Would you care for some wine?” Valerius gestured to the chairs in front of his desk, inviting her to take one, but instead, Ava rounded the desk to stand at his side. He turned to face her, his brow slightly furrowed in confusion. “Ava? Is everything all right?”

Ava smiled at the concern in his tone and reached up, the silken skin of her fingers caressing his cheek which flooded with heat as a result of that gentle touch. “You’ve had a lot on your mind lately, my dear consul.”

“Ah, well, no more than usual really,” he replied. He wasn’t keen on just blurting everything out, but he also couldn’t seem to stop staring at her as she moved even closer to him.

“We both know that’s not true, Valerius. Why don’t you just tell me how you feel?” There was a knowing glint in her eyes that shook Valerius to the core. He’d been agonizing all that time and she already knew? Then she continued. “Or better yet, why don’t you show me instead?”

The invitation was there, plain as day, and Valerius knew he’d have to be a fool not to accept. The consul was many things, but a fool was not one of them.

He closed the minute distance between them, his mouth finding hers with a firm determination. Her soft gasp was muffled as he kissed her so deeply, leaving no room to deny just how much he wanted her. When those soft lips parted to grant him entry, Valerius was only too happy to accept. Their tongues played as his arms wound around her waist, hands coming to rest on the soft silk that covered her back. 

Valerius felt her hands moving, slipping between them. He wasn’t sure what she was doing until Ava brought his own hands around and slipped them under her robe. He was met with warm, bare skin and nothing else, drawing a sharp inhale of surprise from the consul as she silently urged him to touch her. He’d never dreamed such a thing would happen.

Ava’s hands were not done apparently. He felt her place them on his chest, sliding over the fine silk of his own garments. Down they went, along his waist and hips, before one reached his cock. His breath caught as she rubbed him through his clothing, his arousal reaching a fever pitch despite his efforts to maintain control of himself. When she nipped at his bottom lip with perfect white teeth, he felt that tenuous grasp on his control snap.

Hoisting her up in his arms, Valerius turned them so he could set her down on the edge of his desk, various items falling down onto the floor in the process. He stood between her spread legs and took her mouth again in a desperate kiss, her robe left open so his hands could wander over her form. He wanted to learn every curve of her, to take the time to map out every inch of her, but Ava had other ideas.

Her hands were busy, parting his own robes to get to the pants he wore beneath. Within seconds, she had his cock freed and grasped in her hand, drawing a loud groan from him as she began stroking him steadily. His forehead rested against hers as Valerius’ breath stuttered and his hips jerked, thrusting into the warmth of her grip.

“In me,” she murmured, voice breathless with her own want, her legs spreading wider for him. Her free hand went to his hip, pulling him closer as she lined him up at her entrance. How could he possibly resist such a demand? The answer was simple. He absolutely could not.

The wet heat of her wrapped around his cock had him shuddering as he slid inside of her, then her hands went to his ass to pull him flush against her. Ava wound her legs around his waist and Valerius was lost, his arms going around her to keep her slender body pressed to his. He didn’t start off slow. Ava didn’t seem to want him to. Her moans and whispered words of praise spurred him on as he took her on his desk.

His mouth trailed along her neck, feeling her pulse racing against his lips as he bucked his hips forward over and over again, fucking her just the way she wanted him to. Every sound of pleasure he earned from her was perfect and sent a thrill racing through the consul. His mouth claimed hers once more, savoring the way she writhed in his embrace.

Valerius chased their release, wanting to see her come undone because of him, his heart racing as he panted and watched Ava so closely. He dipped one hand between their bodies, seeking her clit. He knew he’d found it when she keened and arched against him, her head falling back with it. He worked the little bud of nerves rapidly with his fingers, feeling the way Ava’s body jerked against his until she came with a loud cry of his name that surely would be heard if anyone were out in the corridor. Valerius couldn’t bring himself to care one bit.

Her orgasm drew his own out from the consul and he came hard enough that his toes curled in his expensive boots, the orgasm jerking him upright suddenly in his chair.

Heart pounding, Valerius took stock of his surroundings. No Ava was his first discovery. He was seated in his chair still, the warmth of his release rapidly cooling in his pants. Everything was perfect on his desk and Valerius was alone. It had all been a dream. As disappointment along with mortification filled him at his present state, his annoyed voice broke the silence of the room.

“Damn.”

**Author's Note:**

> Want to get updates on my writing? Come say hi on my social media. I’d love to hear from you! :)
> 
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